What's cooking: He cooks dinner every night. If he's going out of town, he prepares some of Alicia's favorites — braised short ribs, chile con carne, Spanish rice and oxtail stew — in advance. She sings the praises of his charro beans, made with chicharrones instead of salt pork or bacon, and the menudo that's a Christmas tradition. “It's not Christmas without Augie's menudo,” she says.

Making the stew “is an all-day deal,” he says of the process he learned from his father. He starts by trimming the fat and washing the tripe thoroughly. He then skims off the foam as it accumulates on the stew. The spices have to be just right, especially the chile powder to get the broth to a dark red color.

An avid hunter and fisherman, Augie cooks his bounty, whether it's wild hog on his custom smoker or redfish, trout or tilapia he pan-fries or bakes.

Learning young: Augie learned bread-making and other techniques from his chef-father, who began his career at the Hamilton Hotel in Laredo and later worked at the St. Anthony Hotel. He also has memories of two restaurants his parents owned in downtown San Antonio, where the Hilton Palacio del Rio now stands, in the early 1950s.

Cooking became a necessity when Augie was 8 and his mother died. “I would cook breakfast (for my sisters) before we went to school,” he says.

In this kitchen: After two decades in their North Side house, the Vargases updated their kitchen eight years ago.

The space: About 12 by 14 feet with an island that measures about 21/2 feet by 7 feet.

On the surfaces: The Vargases switched out the tile flooring to larger tiles with color variations that don't show spots as easily. They kept the dark blue tile counters and birch cabinets with a whitewash finish.

Alicia takes charge of aesthetics, decorating with folk art, including an assortment of vintage pottery from Tlaquepaque bought at an estate sale. Her prized pieces are the colorful David Marsh table and bookcase in the breakfast area.

Why it works: The island sits in the middle of a horseshoe of counters that give the organized cook plenty of space to prepare foods. He likes to set everything out before he begins, and he cleans as he cooks. “When I'm done cooking, everything is clean. My father taught me that.”

Cooking for crowds: Augie is in charge of feeding about a dozen hunting buddies on their annual fall trip to Colorado. He makes everything from guisados to bacon-wrapped dove breast that's stuffed with jalapeño. “Usually when I make them like that, fights break out over who gets the first and last ones,” he says.

When one of the couple's two adult daughters got married, she insisted her dad cook for her rehearsal dinner, hosted at their home. He prepared chicken piccata for about 60 guests.

He's also been in charge of cooking for 300 to 400 people for charity events, including the Door in the Wall fishing event in Port Aransas, where he prepares brisket, sausage, chicken and about 60 gallons of beans for physically disabled people and their families.

When the Vargases host about 15 people for Thanksgiving each year, Augie appeases the traditionalists and those who don't mind finding a little something different in their stuffing. He usually makes a pie or cake for dessert, too. “I make a killer carrot cake,” he says.

Traveling and tasting: When the Vargases travel, Augie collects cookbooks and recipes. In Argentina, for example, a waiter complied with his request to get the ingredients for a chimichurri sauce. Back at home, he experimented with the mix until it suited him.

Though he rarely cooks from a recipe, he likes referring to the books for inspiration.

Know of a good cook with a great kitchen? Email suggestions for Cooks & Cocinas to Home & Garden Editor Tracy Hobson Lehmann, tlehmann@express-news.net.